IGX

Hi Guys, I have been a longtime reader of this board ever since the original days when it was on MSN I think. Learned about it from the very early days of the DragonDoor forums. I tried to register an account about a year or two ago and for whatever reason it got lost or sent to the administrators spam or whatever. But anyway finally, I'm legit. A belated thank you for all the hearty laughs and life/training advice I have received over the years.

Anyway, about 5 weeks ago I was swimming when I felt some pain in my neck and shoulder blade area. Thought it was just a muscle strain but by 3 or 4 am the pain grew so excruciating that I just couldn't take it anymore. On a scale of 1-10 I'd say 8. Checked myself into the ER. Doctor diagnosed me with severe muscle spasm, gave me a shot of toradol, script for norco & flexaril. When the pain died down a few days later I was left with shooting jolts of pain in my tricep, forearm and finger.

Followed up with my primary and he told me to lay off the opiates, take generous doses of ibuprofen and take it easy. A week later I was still feeling numbness in my index finger and pain in my tricep & pec. 2-3 weeks in I was still feeling pressure in my shoulder blade and neck whenever I looked down or turned my head.

Mind you I'm 37, never been in a car accident and did not play high school football. So no injuries or trauma. When I saw no real improvement after 3 weeks went to the ortho knife & fork doc. He took an x-ray, said I have degenerative disc disease probably from bad posture and being a desk jockey. Told me to just do physical therapy whenever I have pain and expect a lifetime of cortisone injections.

Its now going on 6 weeks. I still have a slight tingling in my index finger and general weakness/atrophy of my right tricep. I can barely do 2 or 3 pushups where I could crank out 25-30 before the injury without breaking a sweat.

I also went to an alternative MD. He wants me to take 6 or 7 homeopathic medications and submit to prolotherapy injection in my neck for next 6 months.

What the hell happened to me? Did I really fuck myself up this bad from just slouching for the last 30 years?

Anyone have experience or advice would be most helpful. I'm looking into a standing desk at work and starting up tai chi. But if you have specific advice on spine or cervical or nerve issues don't hold back.

Thank you,
Davester

I think that we are supposed to say that you should fuck yourself but it's obvious that your repressed rage is doing that for you already.

http://irongarmx.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.p ... ilit=Sarno

Seems to have fucked himself in the pool.

Yoga

Greetings, the obvious answer is Kettlebells and Farmers Walks.

Sounds like a nerve impingement in the cervical/thoracic area (probably involves ulnar nerve if index finger and tricep are involved). See a neurologist. He might want to do an EMG and a cervical and/or thoracic MRI (much more detailed than an x-ray).

Sounds most like Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which is why you were prescribed physical therapy.

Bottom Line: If you're not happy with your situation, get checked by someone else. I would recommend a neurologist.

In the meantime, you can try some scalene stretches and Kelly Starrett's first rib mobilizations to see if they help.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXEfTDnkAcc[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiiJGaGSMac[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v-8xEpVjZQ[/youtube]

EDIT: Forgot to add, FUCK YOU NEW GUY!

if you spend a nickel on homeopathy you deserve to be in pain

heavy drinking is a fine pain-killer if only short term

perhaps while drunk you can figure out a plan

always glad to help

Buy a copy of "Healing Back Pain" and take it as a suppository.

The atrophy and weakness are a red flag. MRI to determine if there is a surgically repairable blow-out. Find a spine surgeon (neurosurgery or orthopedics, whichever) who has a reputation for not cutting if not required. I was in the same boat many moons ago, had the surgery and went from not being able to do a pushup to actively doing all that I want to do in terms of lifting and grappling.

In the acute phase, I usually bypass the NSAIDS and go straight to a steroid taper when there's a nerve issue.

I'd just like to take this opportunity to welcome you here and let you know that you can go fuck yourself, and your nerves.

But good luck. Ryan, judobrian and Damien are probably good people to listen to here.

But serious, go fuck yourself with a rusty hammer.

Way to go fuck nuts you get some good advice but don't even bother to check back in to say thanks.
Sadly this place is getting more and more filled with douche bags. Hope you feel better.

Thanks Fuckers. Especially you Crusty. Sorry I was not on the ball with a rapid fire thank you. I was trying to actually get work done at the office and was then off to coach the kiddies at AYSO practice.

Thanks for all the good tips. Especially the bit about the rusty hammer. I will give it a shot and see where we go from here.

The rusty hammer worked. Thanks guys!

I've cured people's symptoms of this by strengthening upper back, rhomboids, middle and lower traps, external rotators, rear delts, and deep neck flexors, along with stretching pec major, minor, Lats, and anterior delts. Might work for you or might not if your shit is too fucked. A home traction unit might help as well.

Fuck yoga. Certain yoga poses/routines could stretch areas that are already over-stretched(upper back) and not give enough attention to what you need(pec stretching). Certain poses could make your symptoms worse. Yoga is the new kettlebells- people want a "what the hell effect" from it instead of just stretching the specific muscles they need to.

Nice, timely post herv

Check out this gadget https://willowcurve.com/
Testimonials sound pretty convincing. At least to try the fucking thing...why not?

Yeah, thanks a lot...almost 2 years later. But that's basically what I did: laid off the training and just stretched, PT and rest. PT for about 3 months but the PT used one of them newfangled techniques like rolfing or something like that. I can't remember what it was called but it was basically very specific massages along specific nerve routes while my neck and arms were in certain positions. Really helped ease the pressure and pain.

That and a lot of rest. I still get a slight tingly feeling in my index finger from time to time, especially on the downhill of my hikes. I guess I just have some compression in the affected vertebrae. Well, anyway I'm back on a strength training program but will keep doing lots of stretches.

Nobody really gives a shit, Dave.

Herv100 wrote:Yoga is the new kettlebells

I thought that it was the other way round?

Hi, Rant!

Fuck you, fuck your shoulders, and fuck your whining you little bitch.